Stresa, Lakeside resort town in Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Italy.
Stresa is a town on the western shore of Lake Maggiore in Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province, spreading across ten districts that rise gently from the waterfront toward the hills. The settlement follows the curved shoreline, with forests and slopes extending behind the buildings toward the foothills of the Alps.
The settlement was known as Strixia before the year 1000 and shifted from a fishing village to a summer residence for the Visconti family during the 15th century. Later other noble families and international guests followed, shaping the place into a resort destination.
The name Stresa likely derives from the Latin strixia, meaning witch, echoing old folk traditions in the area. Today residents maintain a close connection to the lake, with the waterfront promenade serving as a social hub where locals and visitors gather for evening walks.
Trains on the EuroCity line connect the station to Milan and Switzerland, while two ferry docks offer boat services to other points around the lake. The center can be explored on foot, with most paths along the waterfront remaining flat and roads branching uphill from there into the interior.
Villa Ducale houses the International Centre for Rosminian Studies and features gardens with a large Lebanon cedar planted during the construction period of the estate. The tree still stands today, lending its characteristic shape to the garden landscape.
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